2012

At first glance from previews and posters, The Cabin in the Woods seems to be your typical horror movie. Five college students plan a fun weekend getaway at an old remote cabin. We have Curt (Chris Hemsworth), the tough guy with his girlfriend, Jules (Anna Hutchison), who just dyed her hair blonde and is up for all kinds of fun. Then there is Dana (Kristen Connolly), who may or may not fall for the kind and intelligent Holden (Jesse Williams). And then there is Marty (Fran Kranz), the wisecracking stoner. What a perfect ensemble for a night of terror.

The cabin quickly becomes another character. From the outside, it is old, dark and not at all inviting. Inside is no different, with a snarling wolf’s head mounted on the wall. Strange and fascinating discoveries are made. Behind a disturbing painting is a one-way mirror looking into the adjacent bedroom. And when the cellar mysteriously opens, there is a wide range of curious artifacts. But the cabin holds more surprises than they, or we, can imagine.

Before I give away any spoilers, let me recommend this film to anyone seeking out a good movie that puts a modern twist on the traditional horror film. I don’t want to ruin the surprise for anyone, because this film is so much more fun when you discover its true agenda in due time. If you haven’t seen this film yet, stop reading now.

Okay, they gone? ***SPOILER ALERT TIME!*** In The Cabin in the Woods, it seems that all supernatural deaths are actually carefully arranged ritual sacrifices to keep ancient, malevolent gods at bay. Who knew!? While this sort of thing sounds like it would be orchestrated by some archaic religious group, it’s actually run in a huge industrial complex by average-Joe office workers. They watch every move in the cabin through cameras. To make things go smoothly, they release nerve gas and other things that help their lambs for slaughter make poor decisions, like they would in a horror movie.

Even better, is that there seems to be a lot at stake with this latest operation. This makes the workers on edge, though they are still at ease enough to place bets. We enjoy how the workers celebrate each death like a triumph and even get a little worried when things don’t go as planned. We get hints and clues along the way, but I can’t bring myself to spoil that fun for you rebels who read further than you were told to.

For any horror fan, The Cabin in the Woods is a fun, modern must see film. I cannot recommend it enough. Happy Halloween, and pleasant nightmares!

“Cleanse them. Cleanse the world of their ignorance and sin. Bathe them in the crimson of…. Am I on speakerphone?”

Since the fall of 2012 I’ve heard people talk so excited about The Master. From various critics, bloggers and other film enthusiasts I heard praises of the acting, the directing, the story, the style, everything. Naturally, my expectations were very high.

In The Master, Joaquin Phoenix plays Freddie Quell, a wandering Navy veteran. He seems to have no aptitude or talents other than women, boozing and making liquor out of household chemicals. His brew is potent, dangerous and causes him to run from one job to the next. That is, until he becomes a stowaway on a yacht with most unusual passengers.

After his presence is discovered on the ship, he is brought before the group’s leader, Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman). Rather than punish Freddie, Dodd takes special interest in him, Dodd seems intrigued and inspired by him. After an intense scene where Dodd grills Freddie with questions, some very personal, we learn that he is the leader of a movement simply called The Cause.

Most of the details about The Cause are left very vague other than they believe in past lives and reaching back in your mind to them to help find inner peace. It looks like a cult, sounds like a cult, moves like a cult and Dodd is the perfect embodiment of the charismatic cult leader. And Freddie is a simple enough man to stay with Dodd after the ship has reached shore.

For a while, it’s hard to tell if Freddie is believing in The Cause or just doesn’t have anything better to do. He follows whatever Dodd and his wife, Peggy (Amy Adams) say like an overgrown child. In his own manner, Freddie defends them in front of those who question The Cause, passes out flyers on the street, even goes to jail with Dodd. Later in the film, it seems Dodd and his followers try to brainwash Freddie. It’s a long and slow process that can wear on the viewer much like it does Freddie.

Scenes between Hoffman and Phoenix are intense and powerful in many different ways, many different times throughout the film. It’s obvious Dodd is a more intelligent and sophisticated man, using those skills to charm Freddie and keep him at his side. Nearly the opposite, Freddie is destructive, wild and unpredictable like an animal. While these opposites create natural friction, it’s amazing how well they fit together as well. My favorite scenes were Freddie’s first interview where he is told not to blink and the jail cell scene, a perfectly constructed long, still shot.

What bothers me about this film is that this Cause, cult, movement, whatever is the central idea, yet nearly everything about it is hardly addressed. What does one gain when joining? What does it take to join? Does Dodd believe he’s a genuine prophet or looking to make money? This film feels like it has so much it meant to say, but got so focused on the characters, it forgot to get the words out, or even point us in the right direction.

The Master is a quietly intense and captivating film with great actors doing great acting. It’s pretty great. However, I felt that I had the bar set to high and was a little disappointed that I was not completely blown away. It’s the sort of story that feels right to come from Paul Thomas Anderson, who also directed There Will Be Blood. The Master is coldly captivating and beautifully filmed, yet it leaves me trying to connect dots and make sense of things that are left way too vague.

Movies about the makings of other movies seem to be a growing trend. Among these is Hitchcock, a story behind the master of suspense’s struggles while making his (in my humble opinion) greatest film. In addition to the usual conflicts with studios and Hitch’s (Anthony Hopkins) odd obsession with his actors, a growing conflict with his wife and creative partner in film making, Alma Reville (Helen Mirren), takes center stage and makes Alma Hitch’s most intriguing leading lady.

For a film fan, some of the best scenes depict the production of Psycho. We see classic scenes come to life at a new angle and in color, with Hitch just off to the side observing quietly or shouting directions like a man obsessed. Either response seems to hold the same intensity. His direction of the infamous shower scene is especially fascinating and intense. And there are some fun Hitchcockian moments, like the beginning and end monologue that mimics episodes of Alfred Hitchcock presents.

However, overshadowing Hitch and all his eccentricities is his real leading lady, Alma. She is a supportive and ambitious woman who has been at Hitch’s side through his entire film career. When Hitch is ill, she fills in for him on the set of Psycho and keeps production on track. But she also has her own projects in the film industry, and writes a screenplay with Whitfield Cook (Danny Huston). The secluded beach house they write at makes Hitch suspicious of an affair and the idea does not seem to be vacant from Alma’s mind either. Thing is, with Alma always seeing Hitch spellbound by his leading ladies, we can’t blame her too much for her own temptations.

At the Oscars, Hitchcock only received one nomination and came home with no statuettes. It was was for for makeup and hairstyling, I assume for making Anthony Hopkins look like Hitch in such an uncanny way. There were moments where Hopkins seemed to have melted away entirely into Hitchcock. Amazing! However, at the Golden Globes, Helen Mirren was nominated for her leading performance as Alma. A deserved nomination, shedding such brilliant light on an important, but often overlooked part of Hitchcock’s life. How unfortunate that she did not make it to the Oscars.

While I personally love the idea of this film and quite enjoyed it, I feel like it fell short and a bit flat. It felt as though Hitch and Alma were not balanced, both onscreen and in the story. The moments in Hitch’s mind, trying to connect with his latest villain, felt out of place, though they had the best of intentions. Though Hitchcock was not much of an Oscar worthy film, it’s an enjoyable and fun watch, especially for any Hitchcock fan.

In Flight, Denzel Washington plays Whip, a pilot leading a life of addiction. His routine seems to be booze and loose women at night, followed by cocaine like a rejuvenating chaser before he begins flying all day. Somehow this works for him, and probably has for years, until a mechanical failure mid-flight forces him to make a daring crash landing. He is regarded as a hero for his quick thinking, but as the investigation of the crash digs deeper, his sobriety comes into question.

A majority of the film focuses on Whip’s denial and the way he and the airline’s team of lawyers plan to save his public reputation. There is a lot of damage control by many people. Right away, Whip retreats to his remote family home and dumps all the drugs and alcohol. The lawyers get Whip’s blood sample, with a damning blood alcohol content of .2 and traces of cocaine, stricken from the record due to trivial technicalities. And when things really go south at the crucial moment, Harling Mays (John Goodman) is called in to give Whip his dose of cocaine to fly above his hangover. It’s a lot of work to keep Whip looking like a hero.

The crash scene is an early pivotal point in the film that comes with nail biting intensity. In a sudden moment, what was a normal flight becomes a nightmare when the plane inexplicably goes into a nosedive. This wakes Whip out of his drunken nap (he made himself a screwdriver earlier in the flight), to find that his copilot, Ken Evans (Brian Geraghty) has no control. With quick thinking, he orders everyone to strap in and he turns the plane upside down, to glide towards an open field and lose speed. As the ground grows nearer, and one heroic stewardess is helplessly hurled around the cabin, he flips the plane back upright just before taking out the steeple of a church and crashing into the field behind it. This scene, especially just after the crash, is not for the faint of heart.

One thing I really enjoyed about Flight was the soundtrack. It boasts classic hits like Gimmie Shelter by The Rolling Stones and Feelin’ Alright by Traffic. Many of the songs seem to help set a tone for Whip’s intoxicated state. Perhaps it is how Whip has come to imagine himself after all the liquor and cocaine and he is heading into the air. He does a good job of pulling off this persona under his authoritative uniform and dark sunglasses.

At last year’s Oscars, Flight was nominated for two awards, best original screenplay and Denzel Washington was nominated for lead actor. When it came to the best picture race, I believe Flight came up just short in a thick field. It’s a very smart and compelling film that focuses on a man and his journey through and away from his denial of addiction. It could be a slight disappointment for those who are more concerned with the technical reasons for the plane crash than the character who in all the wrong ways, became a hero.

The biggest treat last the summer was Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom. It is a sweet, nostalgic story of a twelve-year-old couple who run away together, and the search party looking for them, on a small New England island in the 1960s. Among the a large cast of young actors are more seasoned and familiar faces that bring their support to letting the two tween leads shine. The final product becomes a beautiful film with a distinct style both visually and emotionally.

Sam (Jared Gilman) is an orphan Khaki Scout and Suzy (Kara Hayward) is the eldest child, misunderstood by her family. Their relationship is sweet and mildly innocent without any cliche mush. Sam is a gentleman, using his scouting skills to lead the way, catch dinner and keep a tidy campsite. Suzy brings a borrowed record player, a kitten and reads her stolen library books to Sam by the fire. Their day alone together must have easily been the best of their young lives and we share their joy as they claim that beach as their own.

However, a small group of adults and Khaki Scouts are pursuing them to no end. Suzy’s parents, Laura (Frances McDormand) and Walt (Bill Murray) are furious and worried, bringing their three sons in tow. Having already lost Sam, Scout Master Ward (Edward Norton) awkwardly leads his scouts in the search, with no real control. The remaining scouts don’t really care for Sam, and are prepared to take him by force. And as Captain Sharp (Bruce Willis), the town’s police officer, searches for Sam and Suzy, he becomes more and more invested in what will happen to Sam once he is found.

There are two themes in the film that really shined through for me that I didn’t connect fully on my initial viewing. First is how the simple theme from Noah’s Ark comes into play. At the wonderfully elaborate church’s production of Noah’s Ark, that the whole town seems to either be in or watching, Sam and Suzy first meet. Later in the film, a storm hits the island, bringing new dangers, challenges and wonderful images of a threatening flood. The olive branch extended in the end will warm your heart.

Second is the idea of an orchestra. The film starts with Suzy’s brothers listening to a record where each section of instruments is introduced and it helps illustrate their individual roles in the music. The same idea is present in the film, and each section of characters are introduced individually so we understand their different tones. While Suzy and Sam provide a beautiful melody, they are nothing without Suzy’s family, Captain Sharp and Scout Master Ward behind them and everything keeps to the beat of those Khaki Scouts, with Social Services (Tilda Swinton) and the narrator (Bob Balaban) having brief but important solos.

Visually, Moonrise Kingdom keeps to Wes Anderson’s usual style. We see most scenes from a very straightforward perspective and usually the focus of the screen is centered. Most scenes are very symmetrical. This makes scenes with Suzy and Sam in the woods stand out more, and feel more relaxed and free. It’s harder to find such rigid geometry in nature.

In the end, I believe Moonrise Kingdom will be remembered as that wonderful film we share with kids for generations to come. It only got one Oscar nomination, for best original screenplay, but it feels like it deserves so much more. However, with such young lead actors and such a dense field in their year, it just didn’t pick up as much merit as its competition.

I guess I can’t put this off anymore. The Oscars will be presented on Sunday and this year I believe I have seen more nominees than in any year since I began this blog, (29/53 total nominees). However, this feels like one of the most unpredictable years I have ever witnessed. So, here are my somewhat informed, probably completely wrong Oscar predictions:

Cinematography

Life of Pi, no other film comes close to its visual beauty.

Costume Design

Haven’t seen 3 of these nominees…Why not Anna Karenina? Pretty dresses often help in this category.

Sound Mixing

Leaning towards Les Mis, mostly because of the mix of cannons and singing.

Editing

Zero Dark Thirty, I just feel it.

Sound Editing

Django? I mean come on, how many westerns have won this category?

Visual Effects

The Hobbit, maybe because I saw it in HFR 3D.

Makeup and Hairstyling

The Hobbit again. Did you see all those crazy beards?

Original Song

Skyfall for Skyfall because Skyfall. Anyone else psyched for a the Academy’s tribute to Bond films?

Original Score

Life of Pi, mostly because I really didn’t notice the other scores much and found this so beautiful.

Animated Short

Head Over Heels. Inventive, imaginative and a lot of heart.

Feature Documentary

So, I thought I saw all of them this year (it would have been my first year to do so!) but I kinda accidentally skipped The Gatekeepers and saw The Imposter instead. I don’t know what I was thinking. So..The Gatekeepers! Cause it would be just my luck to miss out on the best.

Foreign

Amour, duh. Did Up or Toy Story 3 lose best animated when they were also up for best picture? No. It’s in the bag.

Animated Feature

Ok, let’s break it down: ParaNorman and Frankenweenie seem to be treading in the same territory and may step on each other’s toes. Pixar didn’t bring their best work with Brave, that may cost them. Wreck-It Ralph depends on pop culture too heavily. Therefore, The Pirates!

Best Actor

As much as I loved the other performances, especially Cooper’s, I bet Daniel Day-Lewis gets this. He was a phenomenal Lincoln.

Best Actress

This feels like such a weird category this year. Seriously, our ladies’ ages range nearly 80 years. But I think it will fall in the middle, on Jennifer Lawrence. She was such a force in SLP.

Supporting Actress

Anne Hathaway. Nuf said.

Supporting Actor

This is tough, partially cause I’m still waiting for DiCaprio to be nominated. But it might be De Niro. He owned his scenes.

Original Screenplay

As much as I want to root for the sweet, quirky and wonderful Moonrise Kingdom, I feel like Django will take it. And Tarantino’s speech will be awesome.

Adapted Screenplay

SLP had such a great script, I loved every conversation. I really hope it takes this one….and more.

Director

First…the camera might just pan over Affleck as whoever is presenting is blathering on for irony. Poor Ben. Honestly, I’m happy if it’s David O. Russell or Ang Lee. If I had to bet on one, it would be Lee.

Best Picture

In the 3 years that I have been keeping this blog, it hasn’t been this hard to pick a favorite for BP. There was only one film I didn’t really like (Lincoln) but it’s still so good. Honestly, you might have better luck tossing the names on a dartboard and blindly throwing to pick it. Lincoln, Argo, Django, Les Mis and ZDT all have some historical elements and could split that vote. Then again, Hollywood loves stories of itself in their movies (remember the Artist and Hugo last year?), therefore I can’t count Argo out just yet. Amour isn’t easy to digest. Beasts is really indie. That leaves Life of Pi, SLP and Argo. Now that is tough, two of these 3 are my favorites. However, there has been a curse lately that director follows picture…so there goes Argo. Now, I’m predicting Lee to win director, so naturally his film will take the cake. There, Life of Pi to win best picture…but I’m not sure.

Also, Seth MacFarlane will use his “Stewy” voice no less than 8 times. And I will make it a drinking game.

In Blithe Hollow, Norman Babcock (voice of Kodi Smit-McPhee) is a boy with an odd gift; he can see and talk to ghosts. To Norman, it’s nothing scary, but it freaks out everyone else, including his family. They don’t seem to believe him, though it’s hinted that this sort of thing runs in the family. It’s worse at school, where Norman is bullied constantly, especially by Alvin (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), a presumably tough kid that has a great combination of disgusting and creepy. The only person who believes in Norman’s gift is his friend Neil (Tucker Albrizzi), a kid who gets bullied for being fat. Through events that are best not spoiled in a review, Norman starts having visions of his town’s past and has to figure out how to save everyone from a three hundred year old witch’s curse.

Between ParaNorman and Frankenweenie, this has been quite a year to introduce kids to horror films. While Frankenweenie has more references toward the classic Universal monster era, ParaNorman has frequent references to more modern slasher and zombie flicks. Halloween is constantly referenced, from the movie Norman is watching the opening scene to his ringtone. Norman’s room is covered in zombie posters and toys. I would love a pair of those slippers.

Between the film references, zombie hijinks and Norman’s companions bringing their unique personalities along for the ride, the laughs are fun but not constant. While The Pirates! was a laugh a minute, ParaNorman keeps the jokes high in the beginning and they cool down when our characters are in more perilous situations. This works because Norman seems like a more serious kid, often we’re laughing with him. The climactic moments are too powerful for comic relief.

A few images in ParaNorman may be a bit scary for the littlest ones. Some scenes feature zombies popping out of their graves, a ghost visiting Norman in a toilet and a powerful otherworldly being trying to attack Norman. While I didn’t find anything particularly scary, I was honestly blown away by the amazing effect of the witch’s face made out of swirling clouds in the sky. Whether it was CGI or not, I was genuinely impressed with all the animation and effects in this film.

Most animated films aren’t complete without a little lesson for the kids to grow on. Here, it’s primarily an anti-bullying message, both in a modern sense and shown with a historical perspective. There also seems to be brief messages about the importance of reading and history, which would have made Norman’s quest easier at one point.

Overall, ParaNorman is a fun family film with great horror bits. The story is engaging and smart, though it seems to get muddled around the third act. But best of all, the quality of animation and imagery is what secures its Oscar nomination. I really wish I shelled out my cash to see ParaNorman in 3D while it was in theaters. Such a visual feast.